Carter U-12 (S-12) Universal 7+5 with flight case for sale!!

[Dan Lebowitz]

I bought this guitar new in 2010 from Al Brisco at Steel Guitars of Canada. It comes with an ATA flight case (the kind with wheels built in)! It's a really great sounding and great playing instrument, and light too! This guitar has served me really really well, and I hate to let it go, but I'm more focused on E9 tuning these days. It's in great condition. Price is $2100 plus shipping. I am located in San Francisco and happy to schedule a local pickup.

[Luke Sullivan]

I have been imagining how I'd look playing this guitar. I can't tell if it's solid black, or a marbled black mica.
The 12 string tuning is interesting, and would be new to me. Looks pretty similar to C6 in the bottom 10. I guess only one way to know what it'd be like.

[Dan Lebowitz]

It's solid black. The marble look is just the light reflecting. I take really good care of my steel guitars, and this one was freshly polished, oiled, and restrung prior to these pics being taken! It's a pretty one for sure, and hey, it's everyone's favorite color... black!
On the subject of 12 string Universal tuning... it's a lot of fun, and the possibilities are deep. The Jeff Newman course "The 12 String E9th/B6th Universal Tuning" is a great, straight forward introduction that gets you up and running pretty much immediately. Heck, I'd be happy to include my DVD with the sale of this instrument (and would gladly kick over a little donation to the Jeffran College in the process).

[Mark Shuda]

These Carter guitars are amazing! And so is this deal!!!

[John Groover McDuffie]

Sorry to hijack the thread, but perhaps you could consider converting this to an extended E9. The extra low strings come in mighty handy. It isn't all that hard to change the copedant on this guitar.

[Damir Besic]

if I knew when I started with pedal steel, what I know now, I would have take on U12 instead of D10 ... I believe Buddy himself said the same thing at one point...

[Charles Dulaney]

PM sent

[Tom Miele]

if I knew when I started with pedal steel, what I know now, I would have take on U12 instead of D10 ... I believe Buddy himself said the same thing at one point...

I happen to be just starting, looking to add steel to my repertoire. So if you wouldn't mind expanding a little on this, it might help me in my start-up shopping quest. Secondly, would you have picked the Ext'd E9 or the E9/B6 tuning? (the latter is "Universal", right?)

I have only looked at the 10 string models in my education process to date. One of my (probably flawed) inferences is that on a 12 string model, it would be more difficult to pick notes cleanly because the string spacing "appears" more compact. What say any of you?

BTW - I have found this Steel community such a valuable resource. Thank you all for your contributions; I feel like I've amassed years of knowledge in mere weeks.

[Tom Gorr]

12 string spacing has been discussed and the was a chart put together in the distant past that showed nut and bridge spacing. Somebody probably has the link. I don't. Might show in a search.

While there were differences between brands. .. compact spacing was in general more an illusion than reality within the same brand. .. except. ..iirc...a very few early production emmons U12s PPs had a compact spacing. The later model Emmons are pretty wide spacing so I think the compact spacing may have been just fine.

[Andy Eder]

Dan, That is a beautiful guitar, nice and shiny and clean. A great deal!

[Damir Besic]

Tom, I personally would go with U12 guitar, I love the jazzy/ bluesy color of that tuning, you can still play country, but with much more flavor...and of course, then there is a weight, you don't have to haul around big old double neck 80 lbs steel,..I'm having some back issues in the last couple days, and seriously thinking about Little S10 3+4 40lbs steel, and little 112 with super lite NEO speaker...every time I make a wrong move, and feel like someone just stabbed me in my lower back with the knife,idea of going "lite" gets more and more attractive...

[Hal Braun]

Just a counterpoint to Damir.. I chose the extended E9 instead. A bit easier to learn in my book, less pedals, gives you the 10 string E9 essentials with a nice low E string for reference (if you ever played 6 string guitar) and also for what some here colloquially refer to as "balls"

And since I was not looking to "consolidate" a D10, the Ext E9 made more sense for me as a "older" beginner..

Ps the 12 string spacing is usually the same as a 10 string neck, the neck is just wider (with wider pickups to match)

And this is a very nice looking guitar that you could easily try Universal and convert to Extended E9 if you ended up not liking it..

[Tom Miele]

I can soooo appreciate both well explained points.

Hal, the string chart above indicates string 11 is an E, at 54w gauge (not to mention the B). I use a 54w on one of my six strings, and that is considered extra heavy. So I think I am missing something in your explanation of that low end growl I may miss.

Anyway, the help all of you folk on this forum offer is simply amazing. It's all the more reason I think I want to play this instrument. It will truly be an honor to be associated with such a group of helpful people.

[Milton Stone]

Do you know if this carter is a BCT guitar?

[John Brabant]

If it was new in 2010, then it has BCT. The older ones didn't (pre- 2000?).

[Lyle Dent]

Damir:
Better get one before they quit making them with 12! I'm sure Buddy played Jeffs guitar on more than one occasion. Looks like a great guitar and price. I'd buy the guitar for the case!

[Dan Lebowitz]

Thank you all for your interest! This instrument is sold. Donation sent!